Unforgiven 1996
by frostyfreezyfreeze54
Summary: This is my first story. This is the night where John Cena earned the world's respect in a classic WWE Championship Match. Why 1996? You'll find out soon enough. And the challenger is Cena's best friend. It's...
1. Introduction

Unforgiven 1996

In a world where robots beat evil pirates and destroy the universe in a shocking turn-on...Ok, I was just kidding. The story actually begins in 1971. This time I'm not kidding. Vince McMahon, with the help of his ailing, yet supportive father, created the World Wrestling Federation, or WWF for short. For 15 years, the company rules the world, creating millions in revenue and tax income and having stars such as Buddy Rogers, Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammaratino, Ric Flair and Jake Roberts dazzle every night. Then Donald Trump took over, the company failed, yada, yada, yada...Then in 1992, McMahon returned and by the mid '1990s, guys like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock (who helped revitalize the company in the late '80s to early '90s) had left. In 1996, after a settled lawsuit, McMahon renamed the company to WWE. That August, he ordered two world titles, two secondary titles, and two tag-team titles. The ECW Championship and the ECW brand came in January of 1997. They made their debut at the New Year's Revolution PPV. It helped pave the way for John Cena, Triple H, and many others to take their spot in history. When the two world titles were awarded in September, the WWE Champion would be easy to predict. Everyone thought that internet darling and purebred superstar Triple H would take it, since he was college wrestling's most coveted prospect in history. Others thought that John Cena, the powerful and resilient Superman who had a 29-2 record in OVW, would take it. In the end, McMahon gave Cena the strap. Many people were vocal about this. Some thought that Cena was unable to carry the company and he'll cause division amongst the fans. Others believed Cena deserved the WWE Championship, and that being the IWC's favorite son doesn't gain you credibility. In time, Cena got over with a large majority of the fans and became a fan favorite. When Cena began to wear caps, claming it "completed the look", he was ribbed about it in the locker room. However, the ribbing became real, and Triple H, who had been Cena's best friend for four years, supported Cena through it all. But one day in the cafeteria, Triple H mocked Cena by saying, "You can't see me because my movies aren't in theaters long enough." After Cena heard about it, he said that Triple H will be "taught a lesson in hustle, loyalty, and respect at Unforgiven." That night on RAW, it was announced that John Cena will defend the WWE Championship at Unforgiven against Triple H in an "I Quit" Match.


	2. The Match

The pay-per-view took place on September 22, 1996 at the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are no pinfalls, submissions, countouts, or disqualifications. The only way to win is to make your opponent say those two dreaded words: "I quit". Nearly the entire roster gathered in Randy Orton's locker room just to see the match. On Ring Posts, Kevin Eck stated that whether or not Cena has any star potential will be exposed in this match. He also wondered if WWE was really serious in giving Cena this push. It was titled: "OVW's Highest Prospect Meets The Internet Darling." Both men recieved 50/50 reactions. The crowd wasn't in the corner of either man, but they easily won everyone over in such short time. HHH dominated the early stages, hitting moves like the clothesline and an inverted Indian deathlock. Cena, however, took the advantage and hit The Game with several weapons, including a garbage can and the ring bell. The fight spilled over the barricade and into the Philadelphia crowd. At one point, The Champ had the STFU locked in on the stairs. The two ended up on top of the stairwell near the concession stands, where The Game hit an AA spinebuster. He then prepared for the Pedigree, but Cena countered and hit the FU on The King of Kings off the guardrail and into the WWE Universe. The match made its way back to ringside eventually. HHH nailed The Chain Gang Commander with a sledgehammer, busting him open. But Cena refused to quit. The Cerebral Assassin then hit the Pedigree onto the exposed concrete. That didn't work either. So Triple H took the WWE Champion to the SmackDown! announce table, where he prepared for a second Pedigree. But The Champ countered and hit the FU, breaking the table. The contest found its way in the squared circle once more. Cena hit The Game with the steel steps three times, bloodying him. At this point, both men were busted open. The Chain Gang Commander was bleeding profusely from his forehead, and Triple H wasn't all that good either. Cena hit the FU on The King of Kings a third time, but he still refused to quit. The Champ brought a wooden table into the ring, propped up Triple H on his shoulders, and looked to hit a fourth and final FU. But The Cerebral Assassin countered it into a Pedigree on the cold steps. Cena still didn't quit. Triple H was frustrated. He looked to hit a third Pedigree, but The Chain Gang Commander countered it into an FU on the table, destroying it in half. Cena then locked in the STFU for the second time in the match. The Game tried for a rope break, but that made The Champ angrier and the hold deeper. Triple H was slowly fading away. Referee Mike Chioda asked the Greenwich native if he wanted to quit. "I quit! I quit!", said a groggy King of Kings as the bell rung. John Cena had retained the WWE Championship in a brutal, barbaric, hellacious, yet classic "I Quit" Match. The image of a crimson-masked Cena holding up the gold is now remembered as one of the greatest moments in WWE history. The West Newbury native got a lot of praise in the locker room. Praise from guys like Randy Orton, Edge, and his best friend, Triple H.


	3. Aftermath

Within the next couple months, John Cena began a meteoric rise to main-event status in the WWE. He was being compared to guys like Hulk Hogan and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, with many seeing him as the company's next big star. From the moment you first saw him, you knew Cena was different from the men who transcended the WWE before him. He would usually dress up in jerseys representing the sports team of the city he was in, jean shorts, and Reebok pumps. Cena also called himself "The Doctor of Thuganomics" and came out to a rap song he performed himself entitled "Basic Thuganomics." Cena also insulted each of his opponents in the form of a rap before each match, and called his fanbase The Cenation. Oftentimes, Cena claimed his opponents "can't see me," which became his most recognizable catchphrase. Cena easily gained the largest following of any Superstar in the WWE. The night after Unforgiven, Cena debuted a new WWE Championship belt to reflect his rapper character. Triple H slowly made his way out of WWE Championship contention. In December, he started a feud with Mr. Kennedy. At Armageddon, The Game defeated the young upstart. But at the Royal Rumble, the Green Bay Loudmouth returned the favor and eliminated The Cerebral Assassin in the 30-man Royal Rumble match after both men made it to the final three, along with Randy Orton. The Legend Killer eliminated Kennedy ultimately to win the match. At No Way Out, Kennedy defeated Triple H after reversing the Pedigree into an inside cradle for the win. The next day, Triple H asked for his release from WWE. Immediately, the company announced on it's website that Triple H has quit the WWE. It was also announced that night on RAW. The day after that, The King of Kings' profile was taken off the website into the Alumni category. Triple H claimed on WrestleZone's official website that he was being underutilized on the roster, and he wanted to pursue other hobbies with his father. Triple H then went on a world tour with his dad the next week to wrestle top talents from around the globe, including the White Wonder in a special match in Rome, Italy. The Game handed Italy's top wrestler his first clean loss ever. He did, however, make a special appearance at WrestleMania 13 from the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, a suburb of Chicago, via satellite from his hotel in Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Kennedy, however, interrupted and said that he was the reason that Triple H left the WWE. The Cerebral Assassin then stated that when he returns, he'll get rid of Kennedy once and for all. Speaking of WrestleMania, Cena defeated Orton to retain the WWE Championship that same night. Cena debuted a new entrance theme that night entitled "My Time Is Now," which he performed himself with his cousin Marc Predka (Tha Trademarc), and gave his fanbase a second nickname: Chain Gang Assault Battalion. The feud between the two carried on until June. At Vengeance, WWE's June pay-per-view, Cena again defeated Orton to retain the title, this time in a Submission Match. Orton, frustrated at losing again, attacked The Champ and RKO'ed him on the stage-twice! The Legend Killer then brought his car and drove it onto the stage. He put Cena in it, and set the car in reverse as it crashed into the Vengeance set, causing an explosion. Cena was then placed on a stretcher. It was announced the next day on various wrestling sites that Cena suffered a torn ligament in his right arm during the match and will be out of action for three to five months. The injury angle was put in place so Cena could have surgery on his arm. At first, Cena said in a interview that his right arm was a bit tight, but WWE officials said that if it was aggravated during the match, or worse, then the injury angle would be done. Cena claimed that his arm was completely torn off the bone and that referee Jack Doan gave him and Orton signals to let them know that the angle would be done. This, however, was done off camera so the fans watching at home couldn't see it. When Cena was given the signal, a closeup of Orton was shown. When Orton was given the signal, a closeup of Cena was shown. That night on RAW, Jim Ross announced the storyline reason for Cena's injury, saying that Orton injured it during his post-match assault. Jerry "The King" Lawler stated that Cena has relinquished the WWE Championship and that situation would be taken care of. The next day, surgery was successfully completed on Cena's right arm by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama. In September, WWE reported that Cena is well ahead of schedule to return and has gone through intense rehabilitation (or rehab, as the kids say) to come back as soon as possible. During this time, Cena entered the rap world with his debut album entitled _You Can't See Me_. To see how the WWE Championship dilemma will be dealt with, and what's next for Randy Orton, read my next story, Great American Bash 1997. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

THE END


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